Georgia Trend Daily – June 12, 2025

June 12, 2025 Capitol Beat News

Ty Tagami reports that the University System of Georgia Board of Regents held a final vote Wednesday to confirm Christopher “Mike” Johnson as president of the University of West Georgia. The chief of staff for the University of Houston (UH) and the UH system will succeed the Carrollton university’s interim President, Ashwani Monga, on Aug. 1.

June 12, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Staff reports, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ will begin on June 14, 2025, and the Final Match will take place on July 13, 2025. Atlanta will host six matches; all will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

June 12, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Doug Roberson reports, four Atlanta-based corporations were announced Wednesday as the first sponsors for Atlanta’s eight matches in next year’s FIFA World Cup: Cox Enterprises, Georgia-Pacific, Home Depot and Southern Co. It is the first time in FIFA’s history that it has allowed host committees to secure local sponsors. Financial details of the sponsorships weren’t disclosed.

June 12, 2025 WSB Radio

Ashley Simmons and Miles Montgomery report, Forsyth County commissioners approved of “The Gathering,” a proposed multi-billion dollar mixed use development that could pave the way for an NHL expansion franchise in metro Atlanta. The development, planned for a 100-acre site off McGinnis Ferry Road and GA-400 between Alpharetta and Cumming, would include an 18,000 seat arena, along with residential, retail, and dining components.

June 12, 2025 Macon Telegraph

Lucinda Warnke reports, after months of talk, Macon is making progress towards building a new sports arena. The Macon-Bibb County Commission approved a contract June 3 with MFA Program Management — a project management company based in Memphis, Tennessee — to plan and oversee the construction of a new sports arena.

June 12, 2025 Augusta Chronicle

Joe Hotchkiss reports, like many others, Tom Clark didn’t hear about Fort Eisenhower’s name change until Wednesday morning. But as the executive director for the CSRA Alliance for Fort Eisenhower, he presided over the group’s first order of business – changing its name back to the CSRA Alliance for Fort Gordon.

June 12, 2025 Cartersville Daily-Tribune

David Herron reports that Georgia State Rep. Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville) was named Representative of the Year by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce June 9. “Being recognized by the Georgia Chamber as one of their 2025 Legislators of the Year really means a lot,” Gambill said. “I have been involved in different capacities of the Chamber throughout my career but especially since being elected in 2019.

June 12, 2025 WABE

Chamian Cruz reports, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is threatening domestic terrorism charges for anyone who incites violence during this weekend’s planned protests against the Trump administration. But, it’s not the first time domestic terrorism charges have been brought against protesters in the state.

June 12, 2025 Rome News-Tribune

Rachel Cohen reports that President Donald Trump celebrates the Army’s 250th anniversary, and his 79th birthday, in a massive parade on Saturday, most congressional Republicans will be elsewhere, according to POLITICO. POLITICO surveyed 50 Republicans on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and only seven — including Northwest Georgia’s U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — plan on attending the festivities.

June 12, 2025 Georgia Recorder

Stanley Dunlap reports that Morrow resident Greg Thornton voted for Daniel Blackman in the Georgia Public Service Commission race Wednesday afternoon before he became aware that Blackman had been disqualified from the Democratic Party primary for an Atlanta-based district. “It’s disappointing to hear my vote won’t matter,” Thornton said.

June 12, 2025 Capitol Beat News

Dave Williams reports, recent changes in the adoptions process in Georgia are causing such extensive delays that the state is no longer considered “adoption-friendly,” several adoption lawyers said Wednesday. But the owner of an adoption agency in Coastal Georgia and a birth mother defended Georgia’s process as ensuring that Peach State adoptions are safe and legal.

June 12, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam report, former Cobb County GOP chair Salleigh Grubbs instantly became one of the highest-ranking female Republicans in the state when she was elected as the party’s first vice-chair at last weekend’s convention in Dalton. So she turned heads on Wednesday when she told conservative talk show host John Fredericks that she doesn’t think a woman can win the highest offices in Georgia.